PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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No. 6.
The CHIEF CIVIL. COMMISSIONER OF SEYCHELLES to the
MY LORD,
EARL OF KIMBERLEY.
Received June 27th, 1973). Seychelles, June 2nd, 1873. York Lordship's Despatch, No. 25, of 31st January 1973, addressed to Governor the Honourable Sir A. H. Gordon, K,C.M.G., has been referred with its enclosures, by his Honour the Officer Administering the Government at Mauritius for report.
2. In order to enable me to comply fully with his Honour's request, I deemed it advisable to await the report of the recently-appointed Inspector of Liberated Africans, Dr. William McGregor, a gentleman of high principle and undoubted integrity, whose testimony, the result of deliberate inquiry and careful personal investigation, will, I venture to think, be of greater value than mere ex parte statements, and that report I have now the honour to forward for your Lordship's perusal.
3. Four months have already elapsed since your Lordship's despatch was written, and, as I have no direct means of communication with Mauritius during the prevalence of the S. E. monsoon, my report, if sent there, could not possibly reach London before the beginning of September, I have, therefore, ventured to address your Lordship direct, in the hope that the importance of my communication may warrant a departure from established rules. I have also transmitted a copy of this correspondence by way of Aden to his Honour the Officer Administering the Government at Mauritius.
4. I shall deal first with the statements made by Bishop Tozer in his letter, and then bretly notice the report of Dr. McGregor.
5. The Bishop arrived at Seychelles in the beginning of August 1872, and I observe his letter is dated the 16th of October following, so that in the short space of two months he felt himself enabled to arrive at definite conclusions respecting the actual condition of the liberated Africans domiciled at Mahé.
6. Had the Bishop made a tour of personal inspection throughout the island, similar to that undertaken by Dr. McGregor. I admit that he would have been in a position to write authoritively upon the subject, but be arrived here in ill-health, and had few opportunities of making himself acquainted with the condition of the Africans. One, or at the most two estates near town were, I believe, the only estates he visited during the period he remained at Seychelles.
7. It has been reported to me that his information was principally derived from a few persons in the town, and two African boys in his service made inquiries amongst the Africans themselves. Those who possess even a slight knowledge of the African character can judge whether such were the most reliable agents that could have been employed, and what would be the nature of the information imparted to them by the men who hoped to profit by their investigations. An instance of this is given in the second paragraph of the Inspector's report.
8. Bishop Tozer alludes to the condition of Africans employed by the Local Govern- ment. The huts, he describes as being worse than any he has seen in native villages in Africa," were built by the natives themselves, who preferred them to those erected by my predecessor. The Bishop called my attention to the dilapidated condition of these huts, when he was informed that orders had been issued for a new camp to be built, and that men were at that time collecting materials in the mountain.
9. The new camp was completed on November 18th, 1872, some weeks before Bishop Toser left Seychelles, and be expressed to me his full appreciation of the arrangements made for the comfort and convenience of the Africans. What the condition of the camp is, and what are the habits of Africans when placed in huts of European construction is described by Dr. McGregor in the fourth paragraph of his report.
10. The Bishop having written in such unqualitied terms upon this point, it is to be regretted that he should have omitted to mention the fact that new huts were in course of erection, even had he afterwards failed to report that a substantial camp, with iron- roofed kitchens had been built.
11. The impression ("which is shared by Mr. Sparshott") that the constitutions of the Government labourers "are heavily taxed by the amount of laborious work imposed on them
is, I trust, confined to a small number of individuals. On this point
paragraph 6 of Dr. McGregor's Report seems to be conclusive.
12. I regret, however, that I cannot adduce evidence equally satisfactory that the Bishop's statements regarding the moral condition of these Africans are unfounded. I had alluded to this subject in a letter, dated 2nd December 1869, which I had the
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honour to address to His Excellency Sir Henry Barkley, a copy of which forms Enclosure No. 2.
13. The Inspector's Report bears out to some extent the statements under this head put forward by Bishop Tozer; but beg leave to remark that the existence of the report itself is an evidence that the welfare of the Africans is being cared for by the newly created Local Government.
14. Perhaps it is not now necessary to enter into the relations which, until recently, existed between the parent colony and this dependency. I may, however, remark that nothing could be done by the Civil Commissioner without the sanction of the Govern- ment at Mauritius, and that the distance which separates the two places was frequently a bar to the condition and the wants of the dependency being fully understood. Now, however, much of that is changed.
15. One of the first acts of the recently created Board of Civil Commissioners was to pass, at the suggestion of Governor Sir Arthur Gordon, a series of regulations having for their object the amelioration of the African's condition and his elevation in the scale of humanity.
16. One of these regulations provides for the regular and efficient inspection of liberated Africans under written contracts of service, and the Board has voted a salary of 1001. per annum out of the limited revenues for the inspector. Dr. McGregor, the gentleman nominated to that office, appears to me to be a man of unswerving integrity. He was appointed assistant medical officer at Seychelles, at the end of last year by your Lordship, and on his arrival here, an utter stranger, with no friends nor connections in the islands, he appeared the most proper person that could be selected to fill an extremely delicate position. How intelligently he has gone to work, and how un- compromisingly he has performed his duty, his report, which I have purposely sent in its entirety, clearly shows.
17. Another regulation provides for the medical treatment of liberated Africans either in Estate Hospitals under Government inspection, or in the Public Hospital at Port Victoria. 18. A third regulation deals with the subject of education, and makes the admission of all children, irrespective of race or creed, one of the conditions under which grants in aid are allowed out of the public funds. Under this regulation an inspectorship of schools is created, which has been conferred on Dr. McGregor, with a salary of 501. a year.
19. Doubtless there is much yet to be done, especially in the matter of schools and religious teaching, to the importance of which the Local Government is by no means insensible, and its attention will be given to these things as opportunities present them- salves, and as the means at its disposal are increased. I cannot, however, go with Bishop Tozer so far as to admit that "absolutely nothing is being done to wean the Africans from heathenism, or to teach them the truths of the Gospel."» Some kind of benefit they must have received, both social and moral, from having been brought here, for the result of my own experience goes to prove the utter impossibility of these people being placed in the relationship of domestic servants with persons who are kind to them, and there are hundreds so placed, without their becoming humanised by intercourse with civilised beings.
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20. Bishop Tozer must have been strangely misinformed regarding the spirit that animates the liberated Africans of Seychelles, when he wrote that they are beginning "to develop a spirit of turbulence and insubordination, strangely foreign to their natural
disposition, that cannot fail to produce ultimately serious consequences."
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21. This statement might be rebutted by the evidence of every respectable person in Seychelles, and the police records afford ample confirmation thereof." I shall however content myself by calling your Lordship's attention to Dr. McGregor's remarks under the head of " General Contentment," in paragraph 25 of his Report, and to the Report of the District Judge which forms Enclosure No. 8.
22. Any practical scheme for the efficient christianization of the liberated African" at Seychelles would meet with the cordial co-operation and support of the Local Govern- ment, but there are certain difficulties in the way of adoption of Bishop Tozer's first proposition which damot be overlooked.
23. The Africans are not only dispersed over the different estates, but they are scattered over the different islands of the group.
24. “To cancel the present allotment of all children and young persons who are domiciled at a distance from the town” would entail upon the Government the charge of clothing and maintenance of a very large number of children and young persons at a cost of certainly not less, and probably more, than sixpence per diem per head, besides
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the compensation which it would be only fair to award to employers who have invested apital in extending their operations on the implied understanding that the present amount of labour would remain at their disposal.
24. Dr. McGregor reports upon 589 engaged Africans exclusive of those in Govern- ment employment, but they do not form much more than one third of the number actually under engagement. Two hundred and one young Africans under 15 years of age passed under the notice of Dr. McGregor, whose clothing and maintenance would have to be provided for, either by the Government or by some society taking charge of them were the Bishop's proposal acceded to.
The Chief Civil Commissioner as ex officio guardian of African unions has already the power to "make attendance at school for a certain number of hours weekly a condition of apprenticeship," and he would gladly do so were there schools and teachers available. Hitherto that has not been the case. Besides the young Africans mentioned in the Inspector's Report there must be added some 500 more whom he has not yet been able to visit. A large number of children are within reach of schools, and I trust that some good may be effected, under the operation of the regulation recently passed, dealing with the subject of education, by restricting the future allotment of children to similar localities.
25. The second proposition is unnecessary.
26. These changes, however, can only be gradually introduced as the revenues of the Islands increase, and as a helping hand is extended to us from without.
27. Leaving out of the question the moral and religious part of the subject, I venture to question the justice of the Bishop's statements regarding the social condition of the liberated Africans who are domiciled at Seychelles. There are many hundreds of them whose recollections of their own country are sufficiently vivid and distinct, yet the Bishop does not cite his having met with a single instance of a person who wished to return. I have never met with a single instance myself, and I know many persons who, on putting the question to an African whether he would like to “ go home," have been invariably met with a decided negative. I conclude, therefore, that the picture the Bishop has drawn of our laws, customs, taskmasters, taxation, prisons and police posseses few terrors for the African, or he would not be so adverse to leave them behind him.
28. I have, I believe, touched upon all the points Bishop Tozer's letter, which seem to call for notice, and pass on to Dr. McGregor's Report.
29. I deeply regret that in some particulars it should be so unsatisfactory, but I have shown that hitherto the Local Government has possessed neither the power nor the means to inspect estates, nor in fact the machinery to exercise any kind of supervision whatsoever. Now, however, that laws have been passed empowering the Government to inspect estates, and punish evildoers, the utmost vigour will be applied in the redress of grievances, and the prevention of malpractices on the part of employers.
30. I shall take measures to ensure the punctual payment of wages once a month, and any departure from that rule will be summarily dealt with. I shall also enforce the law recently passed which compels planters to keep proper books and accounts.
31. With reference to the 31st paragraph, I do not see that much good can be done. If employers are insensible to the moral responsibilities which devolve upon them in connexion with their African servants, I fear that it will be a difficult task to arouse them to a proper sense of their duty. The most that we can hope to accomplish is to ensure to the African, by legal enactment, if necessary, the means of attending such religious teaching as may be pleaced within his reach.
Their em-
32. I have already mentioned that a large proportion of the liberated Africans are in domestic service, and the lot of such is very different to those upon estates. ployers are, as a rule, kind and considerate towards them, and however much they may be inclined to shirk moral responsibility, so far as they are personally concerned, would be indisposed to thwart any practicable scheme for the spiritual welfare of their servants; am quite certain that I may pledge this Government to carry out any measure which your Lordship may suggest with the utmost willingness.
and
33. The various cases of fraud and injustice referred to by the Inspector will be thoroughly investigated, and the culpable parties will be dealt with as to the law directs.
I have, &c.
To the Right Honourable
W. H. FRANKLYN,
Chief Civil Commissioner.
The Earl of Kimberley, Secretary of State for the Colonies,
&c.
&c.
&c.
SIB,
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Enclosure No. 1.
COPY of REPORT of the Inspector of Liberated AFRICANS to the CHIEF CIVIL
COMMISSIONER, Seychelles
I HAVE the honour to submit to you the Report of my first tour of inspection of liberated Africans on the island of Mahé. I have endeavoured, as far as possible, to give you correct information on the points you desired, but as I have made only a single visit of inspection I am sorry I cannot give so full information on some points as might be wished, particularly with regard to the exact number of Africans located in the island.
2. I have much satisfaction in reporting upon the condition of the Africans employed Government. in the service of Government.
In order to give them every opportunity for disclosing Africans. any grievance without restraint, I visited them at the camp without the presence of any third party, and at such a time and in such a way that no preparations could have been made for my visit. I examined each African individually, beginning with those that were most loquacious, and apparently the leaders of the others. These at first, evidently with a view to excite commiseration, complained that they did not receive enough of Food. food, but on going into details each confessed that he received more than the regulation quantity of food of good quality, and not one could say that he ate it all himself, but it appeared that they reared fowls to a considerable extent, and found boiled rice very good food for their young chickens. Several pigs were also fed by them at the camp. After this attempt at imposition on the part of the leaders the rest expressed themselves as quite satisfied with their food, and it came out that those of them that did not keep fowls or pigs were in the habit of selling a quantity of their rations weekly.
3. I asked the monthly wages of each, and found that in every instance the answer Wages. corresponded to the fixed tariff and the Superintendent's books. There was, therefore, no attempt whatever at imposition in this particular.
4. Their buts I found comfortable and in my opinion quite sufficient, being superior to Huts. many occupied by the natives of the country. Greater regard to ventilation would, however, be desirable, but it appears the Africans themselves are so opposed to all principles of ventilation in their huts that it is all but hopeless to look for any improvement in that direction, particularly as they plead the exclusion of mosquitoes as
an excuse.
5. In most of the huts I found a good supply of cooking utensils and other neces- Clothes, &c. saries. In none was the supply of clothes deficient, while in some the supply was really astonishing, often laid away below mats and half hidden in corners; and although many of the men wore only a shirt, it was evidently only a matter of choice and not of necessity. After the men left for their work I saw six of the women engaged in making new clothes.
I regret to state, however, that in a few huts I found empty bottles that smelled of vermouth. I cannot but regard it as a misfortune that there should be a spirit shop within 200 yards of the camp; in fact several of the Africans hinted as much themselves.
6. As a rule the men were in excellent physical condition, and looked as if their work Work. was nothing to them. There was no actual complaint of overwork, although a few expressed a wish that they had no work at all to do.
7. Finding their physical wants so well provided for, I was astonished at the little that Morality. had been done for their moral improvement. It seemed that what had been done for them in this respect was due to the local authority, and not to religious teaching or preaching. I found amongst them only three or four cases of baptism, and these some- what doubtful, and no instance of marriage, although concubinage is greatly prevalent. Only two or three said they went to church, and they but seldom; many of them spend the Sabbath drinking vermouth, although it does not appear that they often drink to
excess.
8. In conclusion, I can offer only two suggestions that I think might improve their physical condition at least. (1.) It might be desirable that the spirit shop above men- tioned were at a greater distance from the camp. (2.) That there should be some system established whereby promotion might be effected among those Africans that have shown themselves trustworthy during their term of engagement, such as to enrol some of them in the police; or to distinguish them in any other way that your experience would
recommend.
9. Exclusive of the Government Africans I visited 128 establishments employing altogether, as near as I could make out at one visit, 719 Africans; of these 130 had
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